Marcus Buckingham

Early life

Marcus Buckingham was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, and raised in the village of Radlett, Hertfordshire. His father served as the Personnel Director at Allied Breweries. As a child, Buckingham struggled with a stammer, making public speaking a significant challenge. However, through persistence and practice, he overcame this condition, eventually going on to become one of the most influential speakers on the subjects of leadership and workplace performance.

Buckingham attended Edge Grove School and Aldenham School before earning a degree in Social and Political Sciences from Pembroke College, Cambridge, in 1987. During his time there, he was recruited by the noted educational psychologist Donald O. Clifton, who would later become his mentor and help to guide and shape his research on strengths-based leadership.

Career

Marcus Buckingham’s career began when he joined the Gallup Organization, where he spent nearly two decades researching what motivates high performance in individuals and organizations. His research led to the development of a series of unique strengths-based assessments, helping businesses identify and take advantage of the talents and abilities of their employees in order to maximize productivity. Buckingham is most often recognized as the co-author of First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths, both of which became big bestsellers and transformed the management practices of countless businesses worldwide.

In 2006, Buckingham founded The Marcus Buckingham Company (TMBC) with the mission of igniting what he dubbed a “strengths revolution.” TMBC specializes in providing tools and training programs designed to help organizations cultivate workplace engagement and grow high-performing teams. His work has been widely adopted by industry-leading companies such as Microsoft, Disney, and Coca-Cola, among many others.

Since 2017, Marcus Buckingham has led the People + Performance research division at the ADP Research Institute, where he continues his studies of employee engagement, team dynamics, and leadership effectiveness. His research has uncovered groundbreaking insights into how managers can better support and inspire their teams, and his findings often challenge traditional performance review models.

He is also a prolific writer, having published multiple books in addition to the two he is widely known for, including Go Put Your Strengths to Work, The One Thing You Need to Know, and Nine Lies About Work.

Buckingham’s latest project, Design Love In™ (DLI™), brings his research further to life by applying the concept of love to something akin to a strategic business approach. Through DLI™, Buckingham aims to help organizations create exceptional customer and employee experiences that drive positive, real-world results.

Net Worth

Marcus Buckingham’s net worth is currently not available to the public.